There are a lot of great restaurants in Indy. However, the same cannot be said for the suburbs of Indy. Where we live there are basically only chain restaurants – there is one independently owned place, and it is just mediocre. An area that is especially lacking on this side of town is Chinese food. There are a few establishments that would fall into that category, but I am afraid they would be likely to serve me food poisoning with my meal. Thankfully, this recipe is just as good as anything I would order from a restaurant.

This recipe is originally from Williams Sonoma, but it had a lot of (what I consider) pointless steps. I made several changes of my own and in doing so cut down on time and dishes dirtied. I made it once before their way, and last night made my changes, and Ben and I both liked it a lot better last night. We ate this on top of plain white rice. My version of the recipe is below.

Directions: Cut the steak across the grain into strips 3 inches long and 1/4 inch thick. In a bowl, stir together the cornstarch, salt, sugar, baking soda and 2 Tbs. water. Add the beef and stir until well mixed. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Bring a saucepan three-fourths full of water to a boil over high heat. Add the broccoli florets and blanch until just tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain, rinse under running cold water until cool and drain again. Set aside.

Remove the beef from the bowl and pat dry with paper towels. In a wok or large, deep sauté pan over high heat, warm 2 Tbs. of the peanut oil until very hot. Add the beef and stir-fry until it just turns opaque, 3 to 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, quickly transfer the beef to a sieve placed over a bowl to drain.

Wipe out the pan with paper towels and reheat over high heat. Add the remaining 1 Tbs. oil and heat until very hot. Add the onion and stir-fry until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic to the onion, and stir-fry until golden, about 30 seconds more.

Add the sauce to the pan, stir and bring to a boil. Immediately add the beef and broccoli and stir-fry until the sauce thickens and the beef is heated through, about 3 minutes. Transfer the beef and broccoli to a warmed bowl and serve.